(Retro) What have you been playing this week?

[nakamura]

Except when you get to the Forest of Illusion and the secret exit is the real one!

[Colin]

God I love a good scrolling beat 'em up, finished Final Fight and Batman Returns on SFC today, in between sessions of Super Mario Kart.

[nakamura]

Batman Returns is outstanding.

[randombs]

Had a rough session on mario world last night. I spent about 15 lives on one level and gave up.

Looking for something random to relieve the stress, I tried Donkey Kong Country. Gf perks up - turns out she used to play this, too. So we played for a while. She played DKC2 and went ape when I put it on, remembering the music. Then she said she loved Crash Bandicoot so I'm off to Akihabara to pick it up if it's cheap.

[dave heats]

i've moved onwards and upwards to Sega Rally 2 on the DC, after utterly blasting the Saturn version. It feels so ridiculously slow compared to the original! I'd also forgotten how terrible the DC controller stick was for driving games.

Really enjoying my Sega buying binge lately, and re-buying some DC titles I had at launch feels like a walk down memory lane. Remember rushing home with Sega Rally & Sonic Adventure, thinking I was the absolute dogs nugs.

[nakamura]

Started the original Tomb Raider on PS1 and despite the dated control, it's fantastic. The level design is so clever and the save system is superbly done. The game is more tense than any Uncharted game I have played and can be very atmospheric due to the clever use of sound.

[randombs]

Crash Bandicoot is around 1000Y. It's only 600 on the PSN store so may do that but I can't find any cards smaller than 1000Y in the shops I've checked.

UK one is only ?1.69 but I doubt it'll work as it's 60Hz. Might check eBay when I'm back in the UK.

[wakka]

Crash Bandicoot is pretty frustrating to play these days. I loved the series at the time but honestly, it's a game where you can really see they were transitioning between 2D development and 3D development and didn't manage to pull it off nearly so well as Nintendo did (to be fair Nintendo's jump to 3D was pretty masterful).

If you're already tearing your hair out with SMW, I would pick up Crash 2. It's a lot easier than the first game and more polished, too. IMO.

[nakamura]

I have finished Final Fantasy VII this year, still awesome.

Also Ys V on Super Famicom is really playable and probably my favourite so far of the 5 I have played. Finished it last night.

Finally completed the Maximum GP on Ridge Racer 5 after almost 15 years! Kept failing on last race! [emoji1]

Now in to Super Hang-on. Not a game about waiting around for someone as suggested by Maiko.

[Decider-VT]

Started the original Tomb Raider on PS1 and despite the dated control, it's fantastic. The level design is so clever and the save system is superbly done. The game is more tense than any Uncharted game I have played and can be very atmospheric due to the clever use of sound.

I never really got on with the rest of the series. The action sequences worked in the first one because they were so sparingly used but I mostly preferred the atmosphere of being left (almost) alone in a huge, underground tomb. The bit with the sphinx was a real "wow" moment for me back then.

[nakamura]

I never really got on with the rest of the series. The action sequences worked in the first one because they were so sparingly used but I mostly preferred the atmosphere of being left (almost) alone in a huge, underground tomb. The bit with the sphinx was a real "wow" moment for me back then.

I'm really enjoying this one. Will likely go back later as took a break after level 8. It's another example of a fairly small game feeling a lot bigger than it is. The design and need to take everything with caution because of a real fear of death means levels can take ages. Yet I imagine experts can blast through.

[acidbearboy]

I've been playing FFVI in short bursts. Just been through South Figaro with Locke, which was a little dull, but otherwise it's been good.

[briareos_kerensky]

Just completed Another Code (or Trace Memory, depending on where you are). Dusted off the Micro to give some more love to Yggdra Union.

[muddy]

Spent the weekend hammering Donkey Kong Jr on the Famicom. Never really played it and got off the first level, from memory, but really *really* enjoyed it. A very fine mix of skill and concentration, with any break or distraction meaning at least 2 lives gone! Top little game.

[nakamura]

I get that with Thunderforce 3. And distraction and my lives plummet.

Currently a couple of hours into Legend of Mana. Really underrated game.